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Chinook APA review

I haven’t posted recently to this blog, but that doesn’t mean I haven’t been brewing! I have several posts drafted for review and reflection of various recent brews. Here’s the first – a Chinook APA. This beer received inspiration from recipes shared amongst my homebrew club, as well as from my research into the ingredients of a well known beer hopped exclusively with Chinook. Dave M from the True Grist Homebrew Club shared with me a simple, delicious, amber ale made with only Chinook hops awhile back. I requested he share the recipe of our club website, and he obliged. I happen to have a freezer full of 2016 chinook (amongst other varieties) that I needed to find a use for, and I was also in the process of developing a crowd-pleasing APA for the wedding I was brewing for. So, that’s where I got started with this recipe, and my inspiration to use Chinook hops exclusively.

The most well known commercial beer that uses purely Chinook hops is possibly Arrogant Bastard from Stone Brewing; a rather strong and dark American ale. Purportedly this well liked beer has an incredibly simple grist, using only two malts – pale 2 row, and caraaroma. My plan would be to use these same two malts, in proportions appropriate for an APA (with a bit of carafoam for good measure), to go along with the Chinook hops.

As I would be turning this APA around quickly, I did not have time to dry hop it. I attempted to account for the lack of a dry hop with a generous flameout addition of Chinook, which somewhat worked, but definitely does not replace a dry hop by any means.

At the wedding last month, I thought this beer went over quite well! The Chinook APA was the only beer that ran out, and it was easily the beer I received the most compliments on. It was definitely approachable as I had intended, but perhaps a little too much so to be interesting (if you’re critiquing, as I always am). I think with a big dry hop it could possibly be put down as a go to APA recipe for me, but for the time being it remains in a state of revision. I have included the original recipe below.

Recipe Details

Batch Size

Boil Time

IBU

SRM

Est. OG

Est. FG

ABV

14 gal

60 min

35.3 IBUs

7.5 SRM

1.054

1.013

5.4 %

Fermentables

Name

Amount

%

Pale Malt (2 Row) US

29.5 lbs

95.16

Carafoam (Weyermann)

1 lbs

3.23

Caraaroma (Weyermann)

8 oz

1.61

Hops

Name

Amount

Time

Use

Form

Alpha %

Chinook

1.5 oz

60 min

First Wort

Pellet

10.9

Chinook

2 oz

10 min

Boil

Pellet

10.9

Chinook

5 oz

0 min

Boil

Pellet

10.9

Miscs

Name

Amount

Time

Use

Type

Lactic Acid

11.90 ml

60 min

Mash

Water Agent

Epsom Salt (MgSO4)

9.80 g

60 min

Mash

Water Agent

Gypsum (Calcium Sulfate)

5.90 g

60 min

Mash

Water Agent

Calcium Chloride

4.00 g

60 min

Mash

Water Agent

Fermcap-S

2.80 ml

60 min

Boil

Water Agent

Yeast

Name

Lab

Attenuation

Temperature

Safale American (US-05)

DCL/Fermentis

77%

59°F - 75°F

Mash

Step

Temperature

Time

Mash Step

154°F

60 min

Note: this beer was brewed with an “Amber Balanced” water profile from Bru’n water.